I am sure that the freezing temperatures kept most people close to hearth and home this past week. Conditions were great for those who were drilling holes in the ice on some of the lakes at higher elevation. When you are prepared for severely cold weather, you can still have a blast. I fished Georgetown Lake in Montana when it was eight below zero and had great fun. Ice fishing continues to grow in popularity every year. More and more people are finding this activity a great way to spend a day in the winter.

Dang is it cold. Way too cold to fish effectively from the shore or in a boat. The good news is that lakes that already had a thin layer of ice may now be fishable. Some of the lakes at higher elevation, like Sidley, near Oroville, and Bonaparte, near Tonasket, have had safe ice for a few weeks. I talked to the folks at Tiffany’s Resort on Curlew Lake, near Republic, and they told me that the lake near them just froze over, but it is six inches thick off the State Park. A couple of their guests fished there the day before and came back with a five-gallon bucket full of nice perch. Tiffany’s has a few rooms available on the weekends, but they are going fast. There are plenty of weekdays open, though. Patterson Lake should have a good layer of ice on it with the sub-zero temperatures, but I would check with folks at the Tenderfoot or the Outdoorsman to see if people are fishing yet. I am sure that ice has formed on Moses Lake, but I doubt it is thick enough to support a group of anglers. I would say the same about Fish Lake, near Leavenworth. This week’s photo is of me at Fish Lake in early February two seasons ago.

I was planning to do some shore fishing at Brandts Landing this week, until I saw the single-digit forecasts for the region. When temperatures are this low, you just can’t fish. Believe me, I have tried. When the line freezes to the spool, casting is impossible. I did make a call to my contact about the fishing on Rufus Woods. Dave checks anglers that are fishing above Chief Joseph Dam, all the way up to Brandts Landing. He isn’t enforcement, as he only monitors angler success for the Colville Tribe. The first thing he told me was to clarify the number of fish that were recently released. There were rumors that there were 16,000 fish put in Rufus Woods, but the actual number is 1,600. They put 800 fish in at Seatons Grove and another 800 were released from the State Park above the dam. The fish weigh 3 to 6 pounds and a few have been caught from the shore above Chief Joseph. Most anglers are catching two categories of fish at the lower end of the reservoir. One group of fish are just 12 inchers, and the others are 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. I’ll try it when the weather warms up a bit. This is the time of year that I usually have pretty good success at Brandts Landing. It’s one of my favorite winter destinations for fishing from shore.

Looking at the forecasts for the week, I still see some very cold temperatures coming. That’s great news for fans of ice fishing, and not so great news for people like me that want to fish from shore or in a boat. I have finally put together my cold weather wardrobe that keeps me warm even when the outside temperature is very low. We are fortunate that there is gear available to us that makes fishing in extreme cold weather possible. I have a heated jacket made by Ororo that works great. I recommend these to people and to just get the vest. You get the same heated panels and more freedom of movement. People should understand that you need a layer over the jacket or vest. I have some terrifically warm Columbia Sportswear “Omni Heat” jackets that I put on over my heated coat, and I will often put on a light rain jacket over this as a final layer to block the wind. I have a pair of heated socks made by Begleri that have three settings and keep my toes and feet warm. I put them inside my Muck Arctic Sport boots. I know people that have heated socks and can turn them on and off and even change the heat settings with a remote. My winter underwear is from Grays Harbor Unders, and I pull on some Columbia Sportswear rain pants over my lined pants. Bring it on winter. I am ready for your worst!

The Bonaparte Lake Resort’s 2nd Annual Ice Fishing Derby is coming up next weekend. It is scheduled for Saturday, January 27th. The event attracted almost 400 people last year, and this year they accumulated cash and prizes valued at over $9,000. Entry fees are $15 for adults, $30 for an adult and multi-species ticket. The entry fee for youth under age 15, is $15. You can register the day of the event from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. You can register online by going to the Bonaparte Lake Resort Facebook page and use the QR Code on the page. If you register online you are required to get a wristband from the resort. Weigh-in is from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., and you must be in line no later than 4 p.m. The event is going to be fun for the whole family. So, drag out your ice fishing gear and warmest clothes and plan to join the fun!

When you plan to go outside in minus zero temperatures be prepared. With wind chill factors at minus 20 degrees at times, you need to be sure you don’t have any exposed skin. It can frostbite in less than ten minutes! I haven’t bought an ice fishing shack yet, but this may be the winter to do it. Nothing like being out of the wind with a Little Buddy propane heater to keep me warm. I am jealous of those who have them, like my brother-in-law in Montana. He and his wife often fish in temperatures that are often double digit, sub-zero, and have a great time.